Atlanta Hawks at Raptors: Game thead
Toronto-–Same starting lineup for the Hawks: Jason Collins at center in place of Zaza Pachulia. Linas Kleiza (knee) will not dress for the Raptors.
- Larry Drew said Hawks players were miffed about last night’s debacle: “It wasn’t a good mood at all. I am sure they were very disappointed in themselves. I certainly was not a happy camper last night. After a game like that, it’s emotional. I had a chance to watch a bit of the game flying in last night, got a good night’s rest, got up this morning and I felt like a new person. I felt like that game and that day was so far behind us right now. As I told the guys, it’s a matter of looking at that game and saying, ‘Hey, we let that one get away from us.’ Now it’s a matter of lacing them back up and going out there and playing the way we know we are capable.”
- The Hawks get an immediate chance at redemption and clinching a playoff berth all in one shot. “It’s just one loss but looking back at it we could have played a lot more competitively,” Josh Smith said. “Now we are able to get that sour taste out of our mouth and play the same team.”
- Drew: “We’ve got to play better. From an energy standpoint and going back and looking back at the game, we didn’t have the energy for some reason. You have got to Toronto give credit they came out and sustained for an entire game but I know we are much, much better and more capable of playing better. We didn’t play good basketball last night on either end.”
- Drew said Toronto’s assault on the rim had more to do with poor perimeter D than a lack of inside presence: “We didn’t defend off the dribble very well. We did a good enough job defensively at defending sets but, at the tail end of a few sets, we just got beat off the dribble. It wasn’t anything they did, they just put the ball down and went by us. You have to play better defensively. When it comes down to mano y mano you just have to sit down and you have got to guard.”
- Drew on Toronto’s zone D: “Zone is zone. When you are not making shots against a zone, the zone is pretty good. When you are making shots, the zone is not worth a heck. They seem to have confidence in their zone. But it wasn’t anything to surprise us. In all of our meetings we had with them they have zoned us. We have been able to make the adjustments. I wouldn’t say that was the determining factor.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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278 comments Add your comment
Sautee
April 16th, 2012
9:13 pm
Indifferent Josh showed up tonight. Only 3 shots in the paint.
Luke Cage
April 16th, 2012
9:14 pm
Gotta get Dampier ready for the playoffs, should start getting some burn now.
bigdave
April 16th, 2012
9:14 pm
niiiiice
DawgNole
April 16th, 2012
9:14 pm
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:08 pm
“You guys hear the Toronto announcer just now? Ivan was suspended for “getting into the entire team” about effort. SUSPENSION!”
That’s all?
Then Larry should be suspended!
_____________________
And we have to hear it from the Toronto media. Doesn’t say much for ours.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:14 pm
Anything worse than a sprain? Just stick a fork in him for the playoffs…See ya next season ZaZa..
Good job Sund! shoot!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 16th, 2012
9:14 pm
T-Mac needs more playing time.
Sautee
April 16th, 2012
9:15 pm
OK, now 4 shots in the paint.
terrell
April 16th, 2012
9:15 pm
TMac is one of the best fascilitators on the team, but LD cant get over the fact that he called his azz out. Wow.
Melvin
April 16th, 2012
9:16 pm
Up 17pts with less than 3mins in the game. No need to bring Ivan back into the game and risk getting hurt. Play Diamper, Vlad and Stack….
kingd92
April 16th, 2012
9:16 pm
Tmac in the post is our best offense
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:17 pm
Josh is working on the jumper for those nationally televised games. He’s got to show case himself for free agency! Cant blame him…. He’s out of here anyway…
Better trade him for picks…
DawgNole
April 16th, 2012
9:18 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
April 16th, 2012
9:14 pm
T-Mac needs more playing time.
___________________
Some of us on here (maybe you included) have been saying that for quite a while. Hard to believe a guy with his experience and skill set has been virtually ignored.
Luke Cage
April 16th, 2012
9:18 pm
LD is comfortable with Collins instead of letting Damp play, Gosh Idiot!!!
TMACfan
April 16th, 2012
9:19 pm
TMAC laser passes.
Please give him more PT
Najeh Davenpoop
April 16th, 2012
9:19 pm
In a lot of sports, you hear veterans say “the game has slowed down for them”. T-Mac plays like the game has slowed down for him any more than any other Hawk. Dude never panics when he has the ball in his hands. Never rushes anything.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:19 pm
Shame on Larry for not giving Tmac more burn this season!
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:19 pm
If KG was on the Hawks, he would be suspended for 2 seasons they way he RIPS TEAMMATES FOR LACK OF EFFORT
#GODFORBID
DawgNole
April 16th, 2012
9:20 pm
Just out-athleted ‘em tonight. Need to keep winning–build that momentum into the playoffs. Losing breeds losing. Stay away from that stuff, Hawks.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 16th, 2012
9:21 pm
Case in point — that cross court pass by T-Mac out of the trap. Anyone else on this team would have struggled like hell to get the ball out of that situation. T-Mac finds Pargo with a perfect pass in the other corner which leads to a dunk. Won’t show up in the stat sheet but that is a high basketball IQ play.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:21 pm
Tmac is a Hall of fame PLAYER LARRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable this weasel coach!
Luke Cage
April 16th, 2012
9:22 pm
My “Spidey Sense” was correct!!!
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:22 pm
“From an energy standpoint and going back and looking back at the game, we didn’t have the energy for some reason.”
-Larry Drew
^^^SMH
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:22 pm
TMAC help blow this team out!
TMAC TMAC TMAC TMAC TMAC TMAC TMAC!
Blast
April 16th, 2012
9:23 pm
Ivan needs to be the starting center, point blank. Even ahead of Zaza.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:23 pm
Gonna need T-Mac come the Playoffs. There will be no b2bs. He should play 22 mpg MINIMUM in the playoffs
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:23 pm
Tough loss ZaZa will be in the playoffs.. Huge loss…
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:25 pm
Joe T-Mac Smoove Ivan ZaZa
would be a hell of an interesting lineup come playoff time. All can defend, 3 are mean players (Smoove Ivan and Z). Get healthy Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not one person on this entire blog or anyone who cares about this team, EVER wants to see Collins or Dampier out there unless it’s to see them hack the hell out of a guy.
TMACfan
April 16th, 2012
9:27 pm
I seriously can’t wait for the playoffs now with TMAC. He is going to control the game with everyone else starts panicking.
He is fourth All-Time for ppg with 28.53 in the playoffs. He will help this team, as long as LD gives him around 25 minutes a game.
Blast
April 16th, 2012
9:28 pm
Or if Zaza is gonna start, then Ivan needs to play the most minutes.
If Al comes back and does not want to play center, that’s fine. Have him come off the bench behind Josh or Zaza. Ivan is beasting!
Rev in Tampa
April 16th, 2012
9:29 pm
Hawks clinch playoff berth with this win. 5th year in a row. Where’s Rick Sund? https://twitter.com/#!/fakericksund
DawgNole
April 16th, 2012
9:30 pm
TMACfan
April 16th, 2012
9:27 pm
I seriously can’t wait for the playoffs now with TMAC. He is going to control the game with everyone else starts panicking.
He is fourth All-Time for ppg with 28.53 in the playoffs. He will help this team, as long as LD gives him around 25 minutes a game.
____________________________
I wouldn’t count on it, knowing LD.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:31 pm
“He is fourth All-Time for ppg with 28.53 in the playoffs”
INSANITY THAT STAT!!!! This dude better get 25-30 mins a night!
Friday is must win to possibly secure the Home court…
DawgNole
April 16th, 2012
9:31 pm
Braves’ run is over. Mets have their number so far this season (4-0).
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:32 pm
Big Lou should have stayed home..He jinxed the Braves by showing his mug at the stadium tonight! LOL!
kingd92
April 16th, 2012
9:33 pm
That’s higher than any other active NBA players playoff ppg right now
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:35 pm
In his prime I might take him over Kobe..
Najeh Davenpoop
April 16th, 2012
9:35 pm
Mets have good starting pitching and enough hitters to carry them if they can stay healthy. Staying healthy, though, has been a problem for them for many years now. I don’t trust them to stay healthy any more than I trust the Hawks to break their 45 year streak.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:35 pm
Ivan had 21 points. I doubt Marvin has cracked 20 points more than once this year, if at all.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:36 pm
If Kobe played for the Raptors, Orlando, and Houston he’d have not one ring either?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:37 pm
With T-Mac, let the dude play in the Playoffs. We won’t even need Willie or Marvin
Teague
Kirk
Joe
Josh
Ivan
Z
T-Mac
Pargo
Marvin (minimal minutes)
should be our playoff roster, unless we need Twin or Dampier to take someone out
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
9:38 pm
This blog is full of panic artists. One bad game and ya’ll are ready to break up the team. I knew they would blow out Toronto tonight.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:38 pm
Cosign Slim. T-Mac was best player in league in 2002-2003 and then damn injuries destroyed him. He still knows this game damn well. His passes are great. Doesn’t even look for his shot. Hope he is ready to play minutes in the Playoffs. He better be giving 100% effort too – I do recognize he is playing under the worst Head Coach in the NBA
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
April 16th, 2012
9:39 pm
*Not playoff roster, but our rotation.
RealTmacFan
April 16th, 2012
9:40 pm
TMAC PLAYS, HAWKS WIN
JUST THAT SIMPLE!!!!!
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
9:41 pm
Dampier is overweight and washed up. Give me a break.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:42 pm
Did TMac not play last night? Hmmmmmmm
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
9:43 pm
T-Mac can’t play back to back nights anymore – lets’ be real.
Slimjr
April 16th, 2012
9:44 pm
Whatever…
kingd92
April 16th, 2012
9:44 pm
Hopefully zaza and al heal up soon
Sushi
April 16th, 2012
9:49 pm
I know ya’ll hate Marvin but he actually had a good game tonight.